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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — in music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to click
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spell — a short time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — a video
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. clip — to cut
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com